


The Girl that Runs With Raptors

by Snugglebuttkitten



Category: Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies), Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Jurassic World Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Kwamis, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Lukanette, The Kwami are Raptors, lukanette endgame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:48:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26745418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten
Summary: The last thing Luka Couffaine expects when he moves to Costa Rica and starts a job at Jurassic Nation is for his former high school sweetheart to be the park's main attraction!
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 26
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oneshot. Miiiiight turn into a full story if its popular so drop a kudo and a comment if you want to see this become a multichaptered fic XD
> 
> Edit: will be multi chapters fic.

Luka Couffaine hadn’t felt this much nervous anticipation since he was eight and finally got up the nerve to enter his school's talent show. It had been his first time on a real stage, not the makeshift one his maman and papa had set up for him and Juleka for when they wanted to put on rock concerts or fashion shows for their parents. He had practically been vibrating with nervous energy back then, so hard his teeth had been chattering until his maman had taken him by the shoulders, looked him square in the eye, and told him there was nothing he couldn't accomplish once he set his mind to it. After that, the nerves had washed away like the flow of the river Seine where their houseboat was located and Luka hadn’t felt so scared anymore. Now, he was twenty-eight and his Maman was over five thousand miles away in Paris, while he was standing on the docks of the infamous Isle Nebula, home to the new and improved (according to the brochures) Jurassic Nation.

Since the last debacle with the whole Indominus Rex mishap, and then the Indoraptor, followed by a few dinos getting loose on the mainland, the formerly named Jurassic World had taken a hit. Every media outlet across the world had called them out for putting lives in danger and there was even more outcry when despite protests, they reopened the park under the name Jurassic Nation almost six years ago. They seemed to be doing something right because in the six years since their grand reopening, they hadn't had so much as a single missing child. Now, ninety percent of their dinosaurs were herbivores with only a select few carnivores to up the wow factor.

The Mosasaurus was still a main attraction, as were the Velociraptors and the T-Tex feeding. He was pretty sure they had a couple others, but for the most part, aside from their size, the dinosaurs at the park were pretty harmless to humans and the ones that were dangerous were highly contained and even handlers had to take a multitude of precautions when going anywhere near the dinosaurs… except for one person. Their biggest, flashiest attraction and commonly referred to as  _ The Girl Who Runs With Raptors. _ She was kind of an anomaly at the park, and definitely a local celebrity. Luka had heard of her, but he had never seen her show and wasn’t entirely sure what was heresy and what was true. According to eye witness accounts, she was even more skilled with the raptors than Owen Grady, the former Raptor Handler back when the park was still called Jurassic World. She was younger than him too, much younger. In her mid twenties if reports where to be believed and she didn't just handle them from afar. She walked among them, as if she were one of the pack.

"Hi, are you Mr. Couffaine?" A woman's voice jarred him from his train of thoughts and he turned to find a young woman, maybe a year or two younger than he was, standing before him. She was slight of frame and short of stature with blue black hair cropped to her chin, olive skin, and almond shaped eyes the color of burnt sienna. She was dressed professionally in a red button up blouse and black pencil skirt with sensible heels on her feet and a clipboard in her hands.

"That's me," he confirmed, holding out his hand expectantly. She glanced down but when she made no move to shake the proffered hand, he dropped it and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm Kagami Tsurugi, Claire Dearing's assistant. She sends her deepest apologies but she will not be able to show you around the park today. She had an unexpected meeting come up," Kagami said, her voice stiff and formal.

"Oh, okay… no worries I'm sure I can find my way around if you just want to point me in the direction of the employee housing," he offered, shifting his weight and unconsciously flexing his fingers around the handle of his guitar case.

"That won't be necessary. There was a volunteer. I will escort you to employee housing. She'll meet us there," she informed him. Luka barely had time to process that info before she was turning on her heel and walking away, leaving him to grab his bags and scramble to follow her. As they walked toward the monorail which would take them to employee housing, Kagami explained in that same stiffly formal tone that temp employees, like him, would live in communal housing where they got their own rooms but shared other living areas. If a temp was chosen to stay on permanently after their probationary three months, they would be issued a small apartment located a few miles outside of the park. Apparently there was a tiny town out there, complete with a store, gas station, a couple restaurants and a bar. She explained a few other things, but Luka was more fascinated by the scenery whizzing by to focus on her words and he was guessing she realized that because she eventually stopped and just let him enjoy the trip into the park. 

Luka had traveled a bit after high school but he had never been anywhere like Costa Rica. He had thought Scotland was green, but Costa Rica was on a whole other level. Everywhere you looked there were vibrant colors. The deep greens of carefully manicured bushes and trees, the brightness of flowers in every color of the rainbow that were strategically placed in pots, window boxes, and small gardens throughout the park to give people something pretty to look at other than dinosaurs. The stunning blue of a nearly cloudless sky and the deep cerulean of the waters that surrounded the island. His excitement was returning with a vengeance. He was pretty sure he resembled a little kid with his nose practically fused to the window but Kagami was gracious enough not to say anything about it. The trip inland took about two hours but that time seemed to fly by with how much fun he had looking at the world passing by. Temporary employee housing was located at the very end of the line, so there were only a couple of people getting off with him and Kagami.

The petite woman led him down a flight of stone steps and through a tunnel to a small parking lot where she slipped into a jeep and indicated that he should put his things in the back and get in. He did so and they were off. The drive was significantly shorter than the monorail ride, only about ten minutes down a tree-lined road until they reached a clearing that held three oblong, four story buildings. As she parked and they got out, Kagami briefly explained that most of the year only one building was in use but during the summer season when they took on a surplus of seasonal employees, it wasn't uncommon for all three buildings to be full of employees. It was late October right now, though, and while it was still in the high seventies, the park was much quieter than it was during the months when most kids were out of school for the summer. The parking lot was pretty much deserted, but as they approached the building on the far right, where most of the cars in the lot were parked near, the doors swung open and another young woman stepped outside. 

The first thing Luka noticed was that she was small. Smaller even than his current companion but with the same inky black hair. The second thing he noticed was the large, bird-like creature perched on her shoulder. It looked to be about three feet long with wings attached to both its body and its feet. It’s feathers were the color of rubies with a few black ones here and there and its eyes were bright and intelligent as it listened to whatever it’s owner was saying. Beside him, Kagami grumbled and her body posture was distinctly more hostile as she approached the woman who had yet to see them, too engrossed in whatever it was she was saying to her feathered companion. Luka followed at a more sedate pace, not entirely sure he wanted to be right next to Kagami when she said whatever was on her mind. There was something about that bird… thing… that didn’t sit right with him. It had to be a dinosaur of some sort but he couldn’t place the exact species. All he knew was that the way it’s gaze zeroed in on Kagami definitely wasn’t friendly in the least. The bird thing made a weird, high pitched chittering sound that must have been some sort of signal because the girl looked up then, just as Kagami opened her mouth and spoke a very familiar name.

“Marinette!” A chill ran up his spine. How long had it been since he had heard that name. “How many times have I told you to leave your damned raptors in their enclosures,” Kagami snapped, reaching the other girl and glaring at her. She ignored the raptor as it hissed and clacked at her, long feathered tail wrapping almost protectively around it’s handler’s neck. For her part, Marinette seemed completely unphased and her expression was almost cordial when she responded.

“Tikki isn’t just some raptor. She doesn’t like being cooped up,” she said, reaching up to scratch affectionately at the raptor’s chest feathers.

“What if the asset gets loose? It’s a dangerous animal. You’re putting lives in danger,” Kagami snapped. Marinette rolled her cornflower blue eyes. Gods, he had missed those eyes. How long had it been? Seven years? Eight? He and Marinette had dated all through Lycee up until graduation when Luka had left to go on tour with his formerly estranged father. Marinette had stayed to go to finish school and eventually Esmod for a degree in Fashion and the long distance thing eventually proved too difficult, leading to them breaking up during one of his very few trips back to Paris. They had tried to maintain the friendship through texts and emails but eventually those trickled off too and when he had returned to Paris when he was twenty-three, she had dropped out of college and left the city. No one except maybe her parents seemed to know where she had gone and he had felt weird asking them after he had broken up with their daughter. He had never imagined she would have ended up in a place like this. Hell, the only reason he was here was because the park was expanding their interactive children’s area and wanted a musician to play life music and perhaps do a couple shows with some of the baby dinosaurs. Maybe a few concerts for guests, that sort of thing.

“Tikki isn’t an  _ asset _ , nor is she an  _ it _ . And she wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Marinette insisted stubbornly, causing Luka to huff a disbelieving laugh. He was pretty sure  _ Tikki _ wanted to rip Kagami’s face off but that was neither here nor there. Apparently, he had made enough noise that Marinette finally noticed him and her entire demeanor changed. Her posture relaxed, her entire face lit up and she grinned at him like a kid on Christmas morning. “Luka, you’re here!”

Luka hadn’t known Marinette would be here, but apparently she had been expecting him if her words and the way she practically flew down the steps to throw herself into his arms was any indication. Tikki squawked and fluttered into the air at her handler’s sudden movement and Luka had just enough time to brace for impact before she hurtled into him, throwing her arms around his neck. It took him a moment to process before he was able to react and hug her back. When Marinette stepped back, her eyes were sparkling with excitement and Luka felt a flutter in the pit of his stomach that he hadn’t felt in years. Age had been kind to Marinette. At twenty five, she had filled out a bit and was no longer the slim wraith of a girl he remembered. She was curvier, wearing clothes that accentuated her assets rather than hid them and her confidence spoke volumes. Her skin was darker too, tanned from likely years spent living in Costa Rica. She still had her freckles, though, and her dimples, and she was definitely still just as short as he remembered her being.

“And you’re… here? Why are you here?  _ How _ are you here?” He asked in disbelief, shaking his head slightly. He honestly hadn’t known if he would ever see Marinette again, the way she had dropped so completely off the grid and yet here she was. Behind her, Tikki chittered unhappily from the ground. Smiling sheepishly, Marinette stooped and allowed the raptor to climb back onto her arm where she settled quite happily, watching him with bright, curious eyes.

“It’s a long story. Why don’t we see about that tour and I can tell you all about it over dinner tonight?” She suggested with a shy smile that reminded him so much of the old Marinette that his heart ached. Luka’s head was spinning. So much had happened today, from moving 5000 miles away from home to arriving at the most beautiful place he had ever seen, to finding out that not only was Marinette here, she was apparently asking him on a  _ date _ after eight years of practically zero contact. He wasn’t sure what to think of all of this and he sure as hell needed time to sit and thoroughly process everything but despite all of that, there was only one answer to her question. He smiled.

“I’d love to.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette’s pov of first chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to popular demand I am going to make this a full fic. Few things have changed for those who read it before I updated chapter one.
> 
> Luka and Marinette have been aged up to 28 and 25 respectively
> 
> They broke up roughly between the time Marinette was 17 or 18, and she joined the park around her 19th birthday.
> 
> Instead of 3 years, the park has been open for almost 6 years now. It will be celebrating the 6th anniversary soon.
> 
> The rating is being bumped up to Mature due to abduct themes, potential for later injuries, and language that you will definitely notice in this chapter lol

To say Marinette’s life changed drastically six years ago was the understatement of the century. She had been lost, muddling through day to day life and trying to reclaim that old spark she had once felt. Fashion had become a chore she had to undertake, rather than a passion she had cultivated for most of her life. She had already been on the verge of quitting Esmod anyway, perhaps going to work full time at the bakery instead. Her parents would have been thrilled if they could leave the family business in her hands when they retired. But then, on one blustery winter day she had been out for her morning jog when she tripped and fell. That wasn't unusual in and of itself, but when she pushed herself to her hands and knees and happened to look down, she found a wet, tattered brochure for the  _ New and Improved Jurassic Nation _ . 

Of course she had heard all about what had gone down a few years ago. Hell, the whole world had heard about what had gone down with the Indominous Rex and the Indoraptor and then the Velociraptors and a few other dinos getting loose on the mainland. She had been on the cusp of leaving middle school and entering high school when all that had gone down but she recalled her parents watching the news and discussing the recent folly as well as past mistakes the park had made. Apparently after the volcano wiped out the remaining dinos, they had gone back in and rebuilt the island from the ground up. Now they just had to restaff the park before its grand opening in six months time. The old Marinette wouldn't have looked twice at that brochure. She wasn't adventurous and she certainly wasn't a risk taker and yet… the idea intrigued her more than she expected. Marinette had gone home after that, shoving the brochure in her desk drawer but the idea lingered long after she had shut the drawer and walked away.

She had always been the type to play it safe and perhaps that was the ultimate deciding factor when she eventually said  _ what the hell _ and applied. Perhaps that is also why she opted to apply for the most dangerous job in the park,  _ Raptor Handler. _ Safe and cautious Marinette wouldn't have dreamed of doing anything like that. Risk taker Marinette was all for it though. Her parents had not been pleased, understandably. They insisted it was too dangerous, too far from home, too crazy of an idea especially for her but while those seemed like negatives to her parents Marinette found them to be perks. She wanted danger and excitement. She wanted to move as far away from Paris and the memories of a happier, simpler time. Plus, she was eighteen and legally an adult so her parents couldn't actually stop her.

Within days of applying, she got the call with an offer for a probationary period of three months as a raptor handler. She had a feeling not many people were jumping to line up for that particular job. Because she required training, they wanted to fly her out on the next available flight which happened to be less than twenty four hours later. With no time to say proper goodbyes and few people she actually  _ wanted _ to say goodbye too (she had lost most of her friends between middle and high school when a new girl had turned them all against her), Marinette bid her parents farewell and and hopped a flight to beautiful, insanely humid Costa Rica where Owen Grady himself had picked her up from the airport. He had apparently declined their offer to rejoin the team unlike his on-again off-again girlfriend, Claire Dearing, but he had agreed to manage most of her training and for that she was grateful. The next few months had been a whirlwind of training and learning everything there was to know about raptors. Instead of just Velociraptors, they had also made several other species ranging from smaller birdlike creatures like the Microraptor to larger than life Utahraptor. She got to experience the miracle of watching them hatch and imprinting with each and everyone of them and it was the single most amazing experience of her entire life.

When she had first arrived on Isle Nebula she had felt like she had lost her way but this gave her a new thirst and vigor for life. And the way she had bonded with her Raptors far surpassed even Owen's expectations. Even as they grew older, more dangerous and Owen urged her to take a step back, Marinette remained in the thick of the pack. Being around her Raptors brought a joy she thought had been long gone and besides she trusted them. Despite Owen's insistence that they were wild animals and would turn on her one day if she wasn't careful, handling them from afar just didn’t feel right after she had worked face to face with them for so long. The park eventually learned that she was a stubborn one and wouldn't be swayed and besides, the way she interacted with the raptors tended to thrill and excite their guests so they eventually just said  _ fuck it _ and turned it into a whole big show, just like the Mosasaurus and T-Rex feedings. The parks rating had spiked after that very first show when she had used a hang glider type contraption to fly alongside her Microrators while also educating the public on how they lived in flocks way back when, gliding through the trees and hunting small prey animals like mice and birds to survive. It spiked once more when she handfed the imposing Utahraptor like an oversized lapdog and then again when she rode a quad around an obstacle course with a pack of Velociraptors at her back. That was perhaps her most popular show and often sold out months in advance.

Within that first year, Marinette quickly became the park's headliner and earned herself the title of  _ The Girl That Runs With Raptors _ . The park officials were pretty much content to let her do just about whatever she wanted given how much money she was single handedly bringing in, which also meant she received quite a few perks. Like her own small house, instead of an apartment. It sat a few miles deeper into the woods than the permanent employee housing, offering her far more privacy which she valued a great deal. She also received better pay, full benefits, and if she happened to walk around the park with her favorite Microraptor, Tikki, on her shoulder the park officials typically turned a blind eye to keep her happy. Kagami Tsurugi was the exception. She had arrived at the park two years ago to be Claire Dearing's new assistant and like her boss, she was a stickler for the rules and was constantly on Marinette for parading Tikki around like some oversized parrot. She knew she was technically just doing her job but the other girl still irked her to no end. Especially when she insisted on referring to her raptors as  _ assets _ and  _ its. _ Still, she did try to keep the peace between them, today especially. Being so high up on the food chain around here, Marinette was privy to insider knowledge when it came to who would be brought on as a temp to permanent employee. And when she had found out about their need for a musician to work the interactive childrens center and put on the occassional concert for guests, she  _ might _ have suggested once or twice or twenty times that they should reach out to Luka Couffaine. She didn’t exactly tell them he was her ex, but that hadn’t seemed an important piece of information at the time. She had been more than a little thrilled when, during their last meeting with the park heads, Claire Dearing had mentioned they had hired him.

Luka Couffaine. The boy who got away. There was a time when the musician had plagued her every thought. They had met when she was in middle school and he was in high school, though they didn't start dating until she had entered high school. With all the drama happening with Lila Rossi and her former classmates and friends, the pair became nearly inseparable and she had been devastated when he left to tour with Jagged Stone. She had been happy for him, of course, but losing him had been like losing a piece of her soul and then he broke up with her not much later because the whole long distance thing was too difficult to maintain. They were too young. It hadn't been their time and after a year or so of living on Isle Nebula she had finally cone to terms with that and accepted it for what it was.  _ Not now _ didn't necessarily equate to  _ not ever _ so she had pushed her feelings aside qnd instead focused on a journey of self improvement. Over the last six years she had worked on her self-confidence, she had learned how to be more assertive, qnd she had both literally and figuratively taken life by the reins and made it her bitch. Gone was the sweet, gentle doormat of a girl that she had been all throughout middle and high school. Gone was the timid, mousy little girl who could never speak up for herself. Now when people pushed her, she pushed back harder.

And today, all of that hard work would finally pay off. Luka was due to arrive today and by some stroke of luck, Claire had been called into a meeting this afternoon when she otherwise would have been showing him around the park. Marinette had jumped enthusiastically at the opportunity, making a few of the park officials who had also been at the meeting that morning chuckle but she was far too excited to be embarrassed. It might not have been their time eight years ago, but it could easily be their time now and she fully intended on doing everything in her power to rekindle that old flame she had lost so long ago. She didn't dress too differently than she usually did. Costa Rica was hot and the fact that they would be treking all around the park either by jeep or on foot meant dressing for comfort. But if she happened to wear a cute pink blouse that showed off a bit more cleavage than she usually would, if her shorts were slightly shorter and tighter, and her hair styled in gentle waves around her face, well Luka didn't have to know that wasn't how she normally dressed.

It was almost two in the afternoon now and she was hanging out in one of the communal rooms in the currently occupied temp employee housing, pretending she didn't notice the strange looks she was getting from the few other people in the room. She was used to people gawking at her and Tikki, especially the newcomers. Glancing at the time on her smart watch, she pushed herself out of her chair and made her way to the front entrance. Kagami was nothing is not punctual and the Monorail should have arrived fifteen minutes ago, which meant they would be arriving any moment. "You're gonna be a good girl today, aren't you, Tikki?" She said softly as she pushed out into the sun and heat of a typical mid October day in Costa Rica. She had found out the hard way that her hair frizzed horribly in the humidity qnd it had taken her months after arriving to finally nail down the perfect haircare routine to keep her hair soft and shiny year round. Until then she had walked around with a permanent afro, taking  _ bad hair day _ to a whole other level. Tikmi suddenly chittered in displeasure, feathers puffing up the way they always did when she was unhappy. That was clue enough that Kagami was approaching. Tikki did not like Kagami. Nor did the rest of the Microraptors for that matter. They all started to hiss and clack the way Tikki was doing now whenever she approached and it always took her forever to unruffled their feathers and get them in the mood to cooperate with her once more. Scratching the raptor’s feathers in a soothing gesture, she looked up and locked eyes with Kagami as Tikki’s feathered tail looped protectively around her neck.

“How many times have I told you to leave your damned raptors in their enclosures." Kagami sounds pissed but that’s nothing new, especially when it came to Marinette.

"Tikki isn't just sone raptor. She doesn't like being cooped up," she forced her tone to sound genial and polite, but already anger was starting to roll in her guy. She could tell by the way Tikki started making a high pitched keening sound, almost like a growl but not nearly as low in pitch that the raptor was picking up on and responding to her current mood.

"What if the asset gets loose? Its a dangerous animal. You're putting lives in danger!" Kagami insisted. She really needed to shut up.

"Tikki isn't an  _ asset _ nor is she an  _ it, _ " Marinette struggled to keep the growl out of her tone. "Besides she wouldn't hurt a fly!"

Before either she or Kagami could say anything else, a quiet chuckle brought her attention away from the obnoxious woman before her to the man standing behind her and all of her anger immediately washed away. Luka looked good. Really good. He was a bit taller, still lean but not nearly as lanky as he had been in high school. His muscles were more defined beneath the white tee shirt he wore, and his jeans hugged him like a glove. His face was mostly the same, albeit a more grown up version, qnd his hair still fell shaggy and unkempt, teal tips falling into ocean eyes. 

"Luka, you're here!" She said by way of greeting. She had missed him. Moreso even than she had realized and she barely had time to register that she was moving before slwas flying down the steps and throwing herself into his arms. He caught her, she'd had no doubt he would, and the way his arms folded tight around her waist was like coming home for the first time in years. She felt completely whole for the first time in eight years and only a thin shred of decorum stopped her from kissing him then and there. Tikki, of course, chose that moment to voice her displeasure at suddenly finding herself on the ground and Marinette forced herself to take a step back and stoop to allow the raptor to reclaim her perch. Microraptors weren't powerful flyers. They were more like flying squirrels so there was no way Tikki could have flown up herself. 

Straightening, she found Luka staring at her thunderstruck. She had made sure no one mentioned her name before this, wanting to be there to see his face after eight years apart. It was well worth the wait and his mouth worked soundlessly for a few seconds before he finally found his voice.

"And you’re… here? Why are you here?  _ How _ are you here?" He asked in disbelief and she chuckled softly.

“It’s a long story. Why don’t we see about that tour and I can tell you all about it over dinner tonight?” She suggested, a blush filling her cheeks as she smiled up at him. It was far more bold than the old Marinette ever would have been but if his responding smile was anything to fo off, Luka didn't seem to mind.

"I'd love to."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote all this on my phone so if a lot of my 'a's become 'q's I apologize my phone hates me
> 
> Also! Got another vote for you. Do yall want to see the Quantum Kids make an appearance or would you rather I do a contest of some sort to allow people a chance to have their OC featured in the story?

"So what brings a girl like you to a place like this?"

Marinette laughed loudly at his question, the skin around her eyes crinkling with mirth. It was so weird, a good weird but weird nonetheless, to see her so carefree and relaxed. The old Marinette had been wound so tightly, like a cannon ready to blow, always rushing from one task to the next and driving herself into the ground with stress and exhaustion. This Marinette seemed to be the polar opposite. She wasn’t rushing through their tour, her pace unhurried and unharried. She looked far happier here than she had ever seemed in the hustle and bustle of Paris. Costa Rica had clearly been good for her. Bluebell eyes sparkling, she glanced up at him from beneath her lashes as they walked side by side through the park.

"I'm impressed. It took you a whole two hours to ask," she teased. Marinette had shown him around employee housing after finally managing to get Kagami to leave her be, before they had commandeered a jeep of their own and set off through the midafternoon sun to explore the place that would be his home for at least the next three months. Maybe longer, especially if Marinette was part of that package deal. She had shown him the Visitor Center, the Children's Interactive Learning Center which is where he would spend most of his days, and the main resort where guests stayed. They were walking through a small shopping district now, full of souvenir shops, food vendors, and actual restaurants. Guests milled about in thick throngs and children shrieked and shouted with joy as they chased each other around the path with toys bought from one of the many gift shops. Many times, workers would stop and call out a greeting as they passed and stares seemed to follow them everywhere as guests took note of Tikki on her shoulder. It was clear Marinette was popular here, among both the guests and her coworkers and Tikki was practically preening from all the attention she was getting.

"I'm just trying to understand, Mare. When I… left. You were so career driven. Your whole world revolved around fashion. What changed?" He came to a stop beside a small fountain where a statue of a duckbilled dinosaur spouted water into the air. After a moments hesitation, Marinette sighed and took a seat on the edge of the fountain, patting the spot next to her. Only when he sat did she speak.

"When we broke up, I spent a lot of time feeling lost and alone. I'd already lost all of my friends and losing you was a tough blow. I didn’t handle it well," she admitted. She said it so matter-of-factly but it still made Luka flinch. She must have noticed because she nudged him with her shoulder and gave a gentle smile. "I'm not mad at you, Luka. I never _was_ mad at you. I was hurt, sure, but I forgave you a long time ago. It wasn't our time. You had your dreams and I had mine."

"I could have tried harder to make it work. I should have-"

"Should have what? Given up your dream so that I could pursue mine? Stayed in Paris working some boring corporate job instead of exploring the world qnd doing what you do best? I never wanted that, Luka. You are an incredible musician and you deserve to be heard. Its why I recommended you. And besides, look where that decision brought us! If we hadn't broken up I would still be in a stressful, miserable industry that caters to the rich qnd the famous while walking all over the poor. Instead I'm here, living a life I _love_ surrounded by people, and animals, that love me," she smiled affectionately as Tikki nuzzled her cheek before returning her gaze to his.

"You do look happy. Happier than I can ever recall you being," he admitted with a smile, nudging her back with his own shoulder.

"I am. Costa Rica is so amazing and I can't _wait_ to show you all the amazing sights there are to see on the island," she beamed at him and his heart squeezed. "There are so many amazing hiking spots, hidden waterfalls and swimming holes."

"So… you're the one who recommended me?" He questioned after a beat of silence, lips quirking into a half smile. Marinette ducked her head and blushed, looking more like the teenage girl he had known so long ago. She opened her mouth, no doubt to deflect the comment but before she got the chance, the walkie talkie at her hip crackled to life and an annoyed and vaguely familiar voice came out of the device.

"Code Ladybug. We have a Code Ladybug at the Raptor Pit," the distorted voice said. Marinette unhooked the device and lifted it closer to her mouth.

"What's the problem? I'm a little busy right now."

"I don't give a flying fuck if you're busy. Schmooze your boyfriend later and get your ass down here, Dupain-Cheng," the voice snapped. Marinette blushed, most likely at the 'boyfriend' comment (he would be lying if he said his own cheeks weren't a bit rosy), but otherwise seemed unphased by the woman cursing at her. In fact, she mostly looked amused. 

"Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a twist, we'll be right there," she soothed before returning the walkie to her hip and turning to Luka with a grin. "How would you like to get a backstage pass to a private raptor wrangling?"

"Um… sure?" He said in confusion. She laughed and hopped up, grabbing his hand and pulling him up as well.

"Great, let's go," she said, tugging him back towards where they had parked the jeep. Powerless to resist her, Luka followed. 

  
  
  
  


The Raptor Pit was aptly named. It was a massive arena with heavy metal walls that seemed to stretch sixty feet into the air at least. Walkways crisscrossed the top of the arena and were patrolled heavily with armed guards and there were at least three gates that had to be opened before you could actually enter the center of the pit. Marinette led him to an elevator that brought them to the top of the arena. Several guards were clustered on a walkway about halfway to the center of the arena, military grade rifles pointed towards the ground where a large tree took up the center of the arena. Smaller trees ringed the outer edges of the arena floor, while the center was mostly hard-packed dirt, grass, and foliage. A group of large reptilian creatures surrounded the central tree, each vibrantly colored with its gaze fixed towards the branches overhead. Beside him, Marinette stiffened and her fingers tightened briefly around his before releasing him altogether. 

"Anyone care to tell me what you think you're doing? Need I remind you what happened to Jeremy the last time he tried to shoot one of my raptors?" Marinette’s voice was flinty, her expression annoyed when he shot a look down at her. One of the men glanced up nervously but neither he, nor the others shifted their guns.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng! You see, the thing is-" he began to stammer but another voice cut him off.

"Oh, put a sock in it Kevin. And you," a brown-haired woman stepped around the throng of men and stalked forward, leveling a finger and a glare at Marinette. "Your precious raptors are single-handedly making my job a living hell."

"Nice to see you, too, Chloe. How was your trip back to Paris?" Marinette replied, eyes dancing with amusement now as the brunette came to a stop just in front of her. Chloe didn't let up on her glare, instead crossing her arms and jutting out a hip.

"Don’t you 'Chloe' me. Plagg sneaked into the raptor pen again and I had half a mind to just let them eat the mangy stray this time," she snapped, stabbing a finger towards the tree. "But _noooo_. Fucking Jeremy had to go be a damn hero, and now he and Plagg are stuck up a tree. I really ought to let them eat Jeremy, too!"

"Aw, don't say that. You would miss both of them if the raptors ate them," Marinette teased, glancing past Luka towards the tree once more. Chloe, in the meantime, focused her gaze on the man with a contemptuous look.

"This is the guy, huh? Somehow I was imagining someone less…" She vaguely gestured to all of him and suddenly it clicked why she looked and sounded so familiar. His jaw dropped and he blinked, utterly dumbfounded at what had become of Chloe Bourgeois. She looked nothing like the stuck up, cruel girl who had single-handedly made his younger sister's school years a living hell. Her hair was much shorter, styled in a simple layered bob and was chestnut brown instead of blonde. Her eyes were still blue but they looked softer almost. Still sharp with intelligence but not as cold and flinty as they had once been. Her skin was darker, probably from years in the sun and her face seemed devoid of makeup. Gone were the designer clothes, replaced by camo patterned cargo shorts and a tight black tank top. A holster was slung around her hips holding several handguns and a large rifle was slung over her back. A pair of black combat boots replaced her old heels. Perhaps the most startling change, however, was the easy camaraderie between her and Marinette. Sure, they were bickering and trading insults but there was a mutual understanding there, a friendship that hadn’t been there before.

"The one and only. I'll be right back, Luka," Marinette said, marching forward to push her way through the group of men. "And all of you put your guns down before I shoot you with them."

The men listened this time, lowering their guns and backing off and Luka had to wonder what she had done to Jeremy last time to make a bunch of grown, muscle-bound, gun-toting militants afraid of a woman who was probably only a hundred pounds soaking wet. He would have to ask her later, perhaps when she wasn’t about to jump off a sixty foot bridge. Luka gapped and moved to step forward but Chloe slapped a hand against his chest and shook her head, a smirk curving her lips. "Easy there, lover boy. Our ladybug can fly. You, on the other hand? Not so much," she said, nodding to where Marinette was perched on the edge of the guard railing, holding what looked like a stick. She raised the stick and must have hit a button or something because the staff extended into what appeared to be a red and black spotted glider. Her gaze flitted over the ground briefly before she dove, nearly causing his heart to seize, but in the next moment the wind caught the sails of her glider and she drifted to the clearing below with Tikki gliding after her. Feet touching down safely, he watched her retract the glider and approach the tree at the center of the clearing. When she was roughly ten feet away she stopped, put her fingers to her lips and released a whistle that sounded shrill even from his vantage point. His heart seized again as all six Velociraptors turned to look at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What yall think of GI Chloe?
> 
> Also #QueenofCliffhangers is back

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what you think!


End file.
